Method of making yarn



Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED STATE 2,244,363 METHOD or M-AKING YARN Clifford Holdsworth, "Sanford, Goodall Worsted Company, corporation of Maine Maine, assignor to Sanford, Maine, a

No Drawing. Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 350,107

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the manufacture of yarn made from the Angora fleece, and it has for its object to provide a novel method by which a yarn can be made that contains all the fibres of the fleece regardless of their length or character. It has been found that a yarn made in accordance with this invention is smooth, free from slubbings and has increased elastic qualities which make for easier weaving.

In making mohair yarn from the fibres of the Angora fleece, it has heretofore been customary to first sort the fibres of each fleece into different grades or sorts, one grade comprising generally the long fibres, another grade comprising the shortest fibres, another grade comprising the coarse fibres, another grade comprising the fine fibres, etc. Usually the fleeces are sorted into seven or more grades or sorts.

After sorting th fibres of the fleece, then each grade or sort is subjected separately to the various operations, such as scouring, carding, card gilling, combing, gilling, drafting and spinning, etc., to which fibres are usually subjected when converting fibres into yarn.

In accordance with this invention, the operation of sorting the fleece is dispensed with and all the fibres of the fleece are kept together while being subjected to the carding, card gilling, drafting, spinning, and other operations involved in converting the fibres into yarn. At every stage of the new method, the sliver or roving is one that contains all the fibres of the fleece whether they be long or short, or coarse or fine, or stiff or silky, the fibres of various types being mixed together in the sliver, roving or yarn in the same proportions that they are to be found in the fleece.

In practicing the present invention, the unsorted Angora fleece is first dusted and scoured, these operations being carried out in the usual manner, although it has been found that it is preferable to run the fleece through the duster twice, as the double dusting opens up the fibres better and shakes out more dust and dirt. If the fleece contains any badly stained fibres, it is well to remove them before the dusting operation, but nothing is done in the way of sorting or grading the fibres.

After the dusting and scouring operations, the fibrous mass, which contains all the fibres of various kinds found in the original fleece and in the same proportions as in said fleece, is subjected to a carding operation to straighten the fibres and lay them more or less parallel. Such carding operation is carried out in the usual way and by usual means except that the carding machine is so adjusted that the sliver comes off approximately 40% smaller than usual. The doffer roll is also speeded up so that there will be the same production in spite of the fact that the sliver is smaller.

After the carding operation, the fibre mass is subjected'to the card gilling operation which is the same as usual except that instead of feeding 6 to 8 ends to thegill box, as is done when treating sorted fibres,- 8 to 12 ends are fed in simultaneously. Since the ends are smaller by 40%, the addition of the greater numberv of ends makes up the requisite quantity. The gill boxes are also set closer, the spacing between the fallers and each of the front rolls and back rolls. being reduced about one half an inch for the first gill box and about one half that forv the second gill box. The sliver which is delivered from the gill boxes is about 10% smaller than normal. In the second gill box, 8 ends are fed in simultaneously, instead of the usual 6 ends, thus making a 33 /a% increase.

The usual operation of combing after the card gilling is entirely omitted, and from the second gill box the sliver containing all the various lengths and types of fibre found in the original fleece goes directly to the finish gilling.

Since it is the purpose of this new method to produce a yarn containing all of the fibres of Angora fleece, both short and long, coarse and fine, the use of the Noble comber would defeat this purpose, as it would remove the short fibres.

In feeding the sliver to the finish gilling, about 10% more ends are fed into the back gill box to make up for the 10% smaller size of the sliver, and both the back gill box and the front gill box have closer settings to enable them to handle the fibre mass containing the short fibres as well as the long fibres. From the finish gilling, the balls of sliver containing all the fibres of the original fleece go to the drafting department, as usual. The first operation in this department is on the so-called two-spindle gill box which puts the sliver on a large wooden spool, at which time it is known as a slubbing. In this two-spindle gill box, four ends are fed in at the same time instead of three, as is the practice in treating slivers of sorted fibre, and the slubbing comes out about 10% smaller than normal. The settings of the two-spindle gill box are also slightly reduced.

From then on through the five drawing operations there is no increase in doublings, but each drafting apparatus has closer settings than normal. On the last of the heavy drawing operations the doublings are increased 25% to make up for the 10% reduction in size of the slubbing.

The slubbing as it comes from the last heavy to hold the short fibres and control the drawing thereof, but not sufiicient weight to cause breakage of the long fibres. A small top front roll is used and the front possible to the front preferably adjusted short fibres, and is so that the roving is wound on the spool in close coils rather than in coarse coils.

After the drafting operation, the roving, which to relieve the tension on the contains all the fibresof various-lengths and.

kinds that are present in the original. Angora carrier roll is set as'close -as rolls. The builder'motion is slowed down and arranged fleece, and in. the same proportions as existedin' such fleece, is subjected to "the spinning opera tion to convert the roving into yarn: This spinning operation is carried out on 'anyiusual spinning apparatus. except that 'two rovings instead of one are fed into the machine'andfan increased draft is produced in-order'to' secure yarn of the proper count. The settings of the rollsare also closer. Theback roll and front roll are'set about one-half inchllonger'than the longest fibre, but the carrier rolls are-set very closeto=tlie--front' roll.

A- single ply yarn is-therebyproduced which'is smooth; free from slubbingsyandbontains all 'the fibres of the-Angora fleece, long fibra'sh'ort fibre,-

medium length fibre, fine fibre, coarse fibre, etc., and in approximately the same proportions as exist in such fleece. The yarn has increased elastic qualities and, therefore, is easier to use in weaving operation.

I claim:

The method of making from the Angora fleece yarn which contains all the various kinds and lengths of fibres existing in the fleece and in substantially the same proportions as found in the fleece, which method consists in subjecting the unsorted'fleece containing all its original fibres to a carding operation by which a sliver is producedcontaining fibres of all the various lengths and. types. found in the original fleece but approximately 40% smaller than normal, subjecting this sliver to a card-gilling operation in which a sufficiently greater number of ends than normal is fed intothe gill-box to compensate for the subnormal size of the sliver, transferring the sliver from the gilling operation directly to a finish gill box having closer settings than normal and in so doing feeding extra endsto the back gill-box to makeup for the smaller sizeof the sliver, subjecting the sliver containingfibres of all the various lengths and types found in the original fleece to the usual plurality of drafting operations in drafting apparatus havingcloser settings than normal and provided with carrier rolls of sufficient weight to'hold the short fibres but of insuflicient weight to'break the long fibres, thereby converting the-sliver into a roving containing fibres of all the various lengths'and types found in theoriginal fleece, and then'spinning the roving-intoa single ply yarn.

CLIFFORD HOLDISXVORTH. 

